Contraceptives: The issue is freedom of religion, not birth control

Your editorial, "Rush to judgment on birth control" (March 7) completely misses the point on this issue. Rush Limbaugh's lack of judgment aside, this is not about access to contraception. The real sticking point is the Obama administration's presumption in mandating that Catholic institutions' health insurance plans must cover contraceptives, even though that runs directly counter to those institutions' core religious beliefs.

Birth control pills are readily available at Walmart or Walgreen's at less than $10 per month for generic brands, so access and affordability are hardly an issue.

Furthermore, despite The Sun's bent to paint "unintended pregnancy" as some rampant disease demanding a taxpayer-funded cure — was the sex that resulted in the pregnancy also "unintended"? — contraception is largely a safety net for elective behavior.

Certainly there are serious negative consequences from unintended pregnancies, as there are with alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, reckless driving and dozens of other behaviors that humans elect to engage in.

Unfortunately for those on the left, our democratic republic did not invest in the president the power to issue edicts to fix each problem in accordance with his "vision" and then demand that taxpayers pick up the tab.

The administration apparently holds such principles in the same contempt it holds the Constitution's guarantee of freedom to practice one's religion.